Are traffic controls good for us?

[Martin Cassini]

Ask a silly question. Here's a fairly serious answer. There is overwhelming evidence that if children are badly treated when young, they not only suffer emotional damage but physical brain damage. Conversely, a nurturing upbringing produces beneficial brain chemistry (Oliver James writes about this in today's Guardian.) The neuropeptide oxytocin is the stuff we want. The stuff we don’t want is cortisol. The traffic control system as currently misconceived generates conflict and stress, causing cortisol levels to rise, hardly the frame of mind for optimum efficiency or safety.